AHHHH Attend the university that is the best combination of cheap and accredited -- and then never think about the other alternatives. Fear debt.Then there's also the issue of short-term gains. Isn't getting into the best college I can the best way for me to have a successful life?
Yes, and well managed debt can lead to great credit which is FAR more important than anyone young ever realizes. -At least I didn't.
Mmm, that's true of course, but "do some research before taking on debt" isn't how young college students choose which beyond-their-means college they're going to attend. Investing in debt is all well and good when you have a job or a financial base to fall back on. Most young accruers of debt -- I'd imagine 99 percent -- do it for the wrongest of reasons. There are also other ways to have a good credit score.
I think you have a good basis for your argument. Debt gets out of hand very easily. I got two credit cards between the age of 19 and 22 - thank god the card I got at 19 only had a $500 limit because that was maxed and stayed maxed for a very long time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I made my payments regularly and so on - even when I lost my job and had no employment for several months, and I was very proud of the fact that I managed to make all those payments (still am) - but when you have, say, a $2,500 limit card, it does feel like you have just a little extra cash lying around and you can "splurge." Suddenly a week of splurging becomes $500 or more on a card - I am not great at going from one extreme to another, so "a splurge just for today" becomes "I'm used to spending extra money" - similar problems with food - and then before you know it both your cards are nearly at their limit, or whatever. This is especially hard when you are especially young, although the CARD Act should help with some of this. There are other ways to have a good credit score, but few are as simple as maintaining a credit card, if you have the ability and financial responsbility to do so.